Christmas-tree holder.



R. C. OWEN.

CHRISTMAS TREEHOLDER.

APPLICATION mzo MAY 29. 1911.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

A fig.

INVENTOR Kali 5 fln ejz ATTORNEY RUTH C. OWEN, OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK.

CHRISTMAS-TREE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed May 29, 1917. Serial No. 171,701.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUTH O. OWEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Port Jervis, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Christ mas-Tree Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to holders for trees, and particularly Christmas trees, and has for its object to provide a strong, steady, and durable holder of this class which can be manufactured and shipped at a low cost, and which, when not in use, can be knocked down or folded into very compact shape, thus facilitating its storage as well as its shipment. Other advantages of my invention will be developed in the detailed'description following hereinafter, and the novel features of the invention will then be specified in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure-1 is a vertical section through one form of my improved Christmas-tree holder, said section being taken on line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a top view of the holder; Fig. 3 is an outside view of the holder in the knockeddown condition, with parts broken away; Fig. 4 is a vertical section corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing another form of my in vention; Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view showing a modified form of leg for the holder; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

The holder comprises a body A of cylindrical shape and preferably thickened or reinforced at the lower portion. The holder body is open at the to and closed at the bottom, as shown at A. Through the reinforced lower portion suitable legs are secured detachably, by screwing them into sockets provided in said reinforced portion. In the construction illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, the sockets are horizontal and in the same plane, and each of the legs comprises a main portion B threaded at its fee end, and an end portion or foot B bent at a right angle to said main portion. When unscrewed from their sockets, the legs B, B may be fitted into the holder body, in the manner shown in Fig. 3, so that the article may be stored and shipped conveniently in this compact knocked-down condition.

When thearticle is used to hold a Christmas-tree, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2,

the legs B, B will support the body A with the tree therein, above the floor and out of contact therewith, so as to give it a firm yet somewhat springy support, thus reducing the danger of upsetting the tree. This elasticity is due to the considerable length of the main leg portions B. To keep the legs from turning accidentally in their sockets, 1t 1s preferable to turn them until their in her ends press against or into the trunk of the tree, see Fig. 1. This will not only look the legs against turning, but also contribute to hold the tree more firmly.

In the construction illustrated by Fig. 4, the threaded sockets A are inclined instead of horizontal, and the main portions 6 of the legs therefore form obtuse angles with the feet or ends 6, the main portions 6 bemg inclined when in use. This inclined arrangement may be preferred as giving somewhat more rigidity to the holder, and also enables the holder to be leveled, within certain limits, by adjusting the individual legs in or out. The legs may be held from turning either in-the same manner as set forth in connection with Fig. 1, or in any other suitable manner, say by providing a lock-nut D for each leg.

The feet B, 6, also form crank portions for the more convenient turning of the threaded leg portions B, 6.

Another means for preventing the accidental turning of the leg B in its socket is indicated in Figs. 5 and 5, where the foot B spreads out 'to both sides of the main portion B, so as to engage the ground at two points, at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the leg.

It will be understood that the constructions shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 5 present the same advantages concerning ease of storage and shipment, and of manufacture, as the one shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The holder will fit trees of different sizes, within certain limits, especially if the method of clamping the tree between the inner ends of the legs is employed, as illustrated by Fig. 1. Of course, the article can be made in several sizes, to accommodate trees of widely different sizes. While simple in construction and appearance, the improved holder lends itself readily to ornamentation, the relatively large unbroken cylindrical surface of the body A being well adapted for decorative effects. One of the advantages of my invention is the peculiar relation which engage and clamp the tree stem, and

Copies of this patent may be obtained for thus increasing the base area spanned by the feet, so that the adjustment of the legs to properly clamp a heavier tree will automatically give the holder a broader supporting surface than when the tree is comparatively light. The holder will therefore have a stability automatically proportionedto the size of the tree as the legs are adjusted to clamp such tree. a

, I desire it to be understood that the constructions shown and described are only eX- amples of my vinvention, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I- claim:

A- holder for Christmas trees and like articles, comprising a hollowbody open at the top and provided at its lower portion with screw-threaded sockets open to the in terior of said body and extending from such interior to the outside of the body, and detachable legs having screw-threaded inner portions to fit said sockets and provid'ed at their outer. portions with feet for engagement with a support, while the inner ends of said legs are adapted to project into the in- ,terior of said body to engage and clamp the article'within the holder, whereby the inner or clamping ends of saidlegswill move outwardly simultaneously with an 1 outward ;movement of their outer ends or feet, and

whereby both ends of the legs Will also move inwardly at the same time, sothat the base area spanned bythe feet will be increased when the cl'amping portions of the legs are adjusted from each other to accommodate anarticle of relatively great thickness, and decreased when the clamping portions of the legs are adjusted toward each other to accommodate an article of relatively small thickness.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

RUTH o. OWEN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioneutbf Iat ents, Washington, D. G. 

